The available reviews lean mixed, with praise clustering around Bill Murray’s abrasive performance rather than the film as a whole. Even some detractors find him funny when the character is allowed to be unpleasant, while supporters welcome the dark comedy and supernatural elements. Several reviews also find individual gags or supporting performances worth singling out, though there is little agreement on how well these pleasures hold together.
The divide is wide: Collider warmly endorses the combination of Murray, dark humour and gothic horror, while Variety finds the comedy largely unfunny, making an exception for Carol Kane. Sentimentality is a recurring complaint across otherwise differing assessments, alongside concerns about muddled adaptation and mean-spirited excess. The disagreement concerns not just how many jokes work, but whether the abrasive comedy can support the warmer material. Four of the twelve listed reviews have no accessible verdict, limiting what can be said about their contribution.